Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs - Building Homes and Strengthening Communities

Resources for Neighborhoods

This page provides a resource to citizens interested in learning more about affordable housing and its potential impact on their neighborhoods.

TDHCA Resources

Quantifiable Community Participation Packet for Neighborhood Organizations (provided in MS Word format)

External Resources

Below are links to other Web sites with specific research on affordable housing topics related to property values, schools, and the economy. In addition, links to organizations that specialize in affordable housing policies and research are provided.

Please note that the external links provided are for informational purposes only. TDHCA does not edit, control, or attest to the accuracy of the information provided on the Web sites made available through this page. Additionally, TDHCA does not endorse any specific organization listed on this page. Read the official TDHCA link policy for more information about external hyperlinks on the TDHCA Web site.

Affordable Housing and Property Values

The Role of Affordable Housing in Creating Jobs and Stimulating Local Economic Development: A Review of the Literature by Keith Wardrip, Laura Williams, and Suzanne Hague
The development of affordable housing increases spending and employment in the surrounding economy, acts as an important source of revenue for local governments, and reduces the likelihood of foreclosure and its associated costs. http://www.nhc.org/media/files/Housing-and-Economic-Development-Report-2011.pdf

HOPE VI and Neighborhood Economic Development: The Importance of Local Market Dynamics by Sean Zielenbach and Richard Voith
Public Housing can provide substantial increases in residential property values and notable declines in rates of violent crime in surrounding neighborhoods.
http://www.huduser.org/portal/periodicals/cityscpe/vol12num1/ch4.pdf

Housing Production Subsidies and Neighborhood Revitalization: New York City’s Ten-Year Capital Plan for Housing in FRBNY Economic Policy Review by Ellen, Ingrid Gould, Michael H. Schill, Amy Ellen Schwarz, and Ioan Voicu.
The benefits of increased property values may outweigh the costs of the housing subsidies.
http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/epr/03v09n2/0306elle.pdf

The Vitality of America’s Working Communities by Alexander Von Hoffman.
Within working communities, multifamily housing is linked with higher home values and multifamily rental properties may help provide affordable housing.
http://www.nw.org/network/newsRoom/pressReleases/pdf/executiveSummary.pdf

Why Affordable Housing Does Not Lower Property Values by HomeBase/The Center for Common Concerns.
Studies indicate that affordable housing may have little or no effect on neighboring property values.
http://www.habitat.org/how/propertyvalues.aspx

Affordable Housing and Schools

The Impact of Low Income Housing Tax Credit Development on a Local School District by The Danter Company in The Danter Report.
http://www.danter.com/taxcredit/lihtckids1.htm

Affordable Housing and the Economy

The Role of Affordable Housing in Creating Jobs and Stimulating Local Economic Development by Keith Wardrip, Laura Williams, and Suzanne Hague
This fact sheet summarizes the different ways in which affordable housing can contribute to rising employment and economic recovery.
http://www.nhc.org/media/files/Insights_HousingJobs_Factsheet_Jan_10.pdf

Myths and Facts about Affordable and High-Density Housing by California Planning Roundtable.
http://www.abag.ca.gov/services/finance/fan/housingmyths2.htm

Foreclosure and the Housing Crisis

A Full Response to an Empty House, Public Safety Strategies for Addressing Mortgage Fraud and the Foreclosure Crisis by Robert V. Wolf, Director of Communications, Center for Court Innovation
Tips from law enforcement help neighborhoods address the public safety issues that come with excessive foreclosures and help residents avoid mortgage fraud.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/pdf/CCI_Foreclosure_Crisis.pdf

Staying Home: The Rights of Renters Living in Foreclosed Properties from the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
Tenants’ rights were strengthened by the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009, including the right to receive at least 90 days’ advance notice from the new owner of a property after foreclosure before the tenant(s) can be required to vacate the property. However, these new rights are often violated.
http://www.nlchp.org/content/pubs/StayingHomeReport_June2010.pdf

General Affordable Housing Resource Links